I use an application called PrayerMate to help me pray through lists of people and partnerships. But before the daily people lists come up, I start the prayer session with a digital card from my ‘Reminders and content to pray’ list. The intention is for these cards to help focus me to pray. They include:
- Prayers from the New Testament (like Ephesians 1:15-23)
- Certain Psalms (such as Psalm 62:8; 121:1-2)
- References to prayer (like Micah 7:7)
- Various quotes (from Martin Luther, J. H. Jowett, Ryle, Brownlow North, etc).
Lastly, one of the cards is ‘Motives to pray.’ It contains six simple phrases about what prayer is. I usually find these really help in tuning my heart to pray.
So, what is prayer?
1. A Privilege
What a privilege, God’s children coming before their Father in heaven.
Prayer is God’s children coming before their Father in heaven.
We get to speak to our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:6-8, 9-13; 7:11). His children, secure because of God’s Son Jesus (1 John 2:1-2) and with the Holy Spirit aiding them (Romans 8:15), are allowed to address the maker of heaven and earth—with boldness and confidence—as their very Father!
May we grasp this great privilege with joy as we pray.
2. A Reflection of Trust
Prayer to God reflects faith and trust in God. Not to unnecessarily heap guilt, but frequently when I am prayerless it shows faithlessness in God.
Frequently when I am prayerless it shows faithlessness in God.
The opposite is true: prayer is an expression of trust in God—giving him our concerns and worries (Psalm 46:1; 112:7; Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 3:5-6), asking him to better shape our yearnings towards the gospel of his Son (Matthew 6:32-33), and much more.
May we reflect trust in him as we pray to him: Lord, we do believe, help us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24).
3. A Necessity
Unless the Lord builds the house (Psalm 127:1-2); or provides; or saves, or matures; and so we could go on.
May we keep praying for the Father to do what only he can do.
All the deep things that need doing, be it salvation, or maturity, or change, or provision—all those are things God must do if they are to last and be true. And so, prayer to the triune God is a necessity. May we keep praying for the Father to do what only he can do.
4. A Responsibility
Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Pray that the Lord may open doors for the word (Colossians 4:3). We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).
In Jesus, we have been renewed to love God and to love others. That includes now the responsibility to speak on behalf of fellow saints in their struggles and burdens—what a good way to partly carry out Galatians 6:2 and so to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Or to pray in line with God’s love for Jesus’ name to go out (Colossians 4:3).
In Jesus, we have been renewed to love God and to love others.
And especially for those of us in full-time paid Christian ministry, we are not only to be prepping and preaching the word, but also praying the word and for people—and the apostles’ words in Acts 6:4 are such a good model to reflect on.
May we step into the responsibility, with our prayer and plans, to pray for others and after what God desires.
5. A Discipline
Be alert and sober-minded. For what? Prayer (1 Peter 4:7). Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2-4).
Nothing good comes easy. Distractions and shallow thinking are all around us. And yet, considering the needs, and the end being near (1 Peter 4:7), we are urged to be alert and sober minded for prayer! This will, by God’s grace take discipline. And why shouldn’t it?
Nothing good comes easy.
May we have the discipline under Christ and in practise, to devote ourselves to prayer.
6. An Enjoyment
Speaking to God is one of the ways we can practise enjoyment of God.
In the here and now, we are able to enjoy God, as our God.
Overcoming our great sin, under the will of the Father and in Jesus by the Spirit, God is our God. This fulfils the great biblical promises that ‘they will be my people, and I will be their God’ (Genesis 17:8; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27; Zechariah 8:8; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 8:10). Through prayer, in the here and now, we are able to enjoy God, as our God.
May we simply enjoy God as our God as we speak to him in prayer.
We Could Say Much More
Many more answers could be offered to the question: what is prayer? I’m sure there are better things to be said, too! And, likely, over the coming years, I’ll continue to add more to the list above. But, at the moment, these are ones I often reflect on, using them to help me delight in speaking to my Father in heaven. God-willing, they might also spur you on to pray as well.
